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Bacon Cheeseburger Quinoa Skillet

5/17/15

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#SundaySupper is teaming up with The Beef Checkoff to help promote the 30 Day Protein Challenge and Make Every Meal Count as you work towards getting the optimal amount of protein in your diet throughout the day. For a family-friendly meal with all of the ingredients and flavors of a beefy favorite, you’ll satisfy your protein needs and your taste buds with a hearty serving of Bacon Cheeseburger Quinoa Skillet.

Bacon Cheeseburger Quinoa Skillet

Disclosure: This post is sponsored by The Beef Checkoff in conjunction with a social media campaign through Sunday Supper LLC. All opinions are my own.

As you may already know, I’m training for my first 10K. It’s funny because I’ve been working out regularly for many years, if you don’t count the short periods towards the very end of my pregnancies and when the boys were first born, but there is just something about running and what it does to my appetite. Years ago I used to force myself to run about three miles on the treadmill once a week. Without fail, on those days I would eat pretty much the same thing I did almost everyday, yet I still wasn’t satisfied. At the stage I’m at with my training right now, I’m running three to five miles, and usually about three days per week, plus strength training and cross-training in between. Let’s just say that I am certainly way more hungry way more often.

So I have definitely had to modify my eating habits. I know that I tend to not eat as much protein early in the day, which sometimes leaves me ravenous by dinnertime and then even beyond. Eating more high-quality protein and spreading it throughout the day has so many benefits that I can certainly use right now – making exercise more effective for building muscles and maintaining lean, strong bodies, and feeling more satisfied between meals. Plus it has the potential to lower bad cholesterol, which is a concern for me and my inherited high cholesterol. And these are benefits not only for runners, but for everyone who wants to be healthy and active, lose or maintain their weight, or just have more energy. And while I have made some improvements, I know that I could do better with increasing my protein intake and better balancing it throughout the day.

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That’s where the 30 Day Protein Challenge comes in. Just jumping in and trying to get 25-30 grams of protein at breakfast, lunch and dinner is not easy, so The Beef Checkoff has come up with a one month training program, if you will, much like the program I’m following for my race training. Everyday there are simple changes to make to your regular habits, and there’s even “rest days” where you can eat what feels “normal” to you and evaluate how it makes you feel. Plus they have handy tools, like this protein cheat sheet and tips for sneaking in more protein here and there to help reach those goals. Take these small steps over the course of the month so that by the end you are regularly getting in those protein grams all day everyday without even thinking about it, and feeling the difference in your health and energy levels.

I love the approach and I’m totally ready to sign on in conjunction with my race training. Plus, I’m totally ready to incorporate more meals as incredible, and incredibly energizing and satisfying, as this…

Bacon Cheeseburger Quinoa Skillet has all the elements of that old favorite – beefy goodness, gooey cheese, salty smoky bacon – that will make your mouth water as you smell it simmering on the stove. But you are really getting a healthy, hearty, protein-packed meal – that’s nearly 30 grams for you in one serving! Plus it’s well balanced – the quinoa adds not only more protein, but also whole grains, and heck, I’ve even worked in a ketchup element as part of your daily veggie servings by using the ingredients from my Homemade Ketchup to pull it all together. Served with some lettuce and tomato for freshness and crunch, and you’ll start to realize how easy and delicious it is to meet the Challenge!

This skillet meal is definitely going to be in regular rotation on our menu. The boys were scooping up heaping spoonfuls, and even The Hubby, who is all about the beef and not so much about the quinoa was a huge fan. When I have to make a quinoa dish a few times to get it right, and he is actually happy about that, you know it’s good. I guess the beef and bacon didn’t hurt my cause!

Beef also helps you meet the 30 Day Protein Challenge. Lean beef is so protein-dense that a small serving has only about 150 calories, and yet provides 25 grams of protein. You can get more recipe ideas, tips and inspiration on The Beef Checkoff website, and by following them on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest.

Join the #SundaySupper conversation on twitter on Sunday! We tweet throughout the day and share recipes from all over the world. Our weekly chat starts at 7:00 pm ET. Follow the #SundaySupper hashtag and remember to include it in your tweets to join in the chat. To get more great Sunday Supper Recipes, visit our website or check out our Pinterest board.

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Instructions

Heat a skillet over medium heat. Add the ground beef, onion, salt and pepper, and cook until the meat is browned, breaking up as it cooks. Drain any excess grease.

Stir in quinoa, then add the cumin, tomato paste, vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, and water, and stir until combined.

Cover, bring to a simmer over medium heat, and cook for 20-25 minutes, or until quinoa is tender. When quinoa is almost cooked, preheat the broiler in your oven.

Top beef and quinoa mixture with bacon and cheese, then place under your broiler or in a hot oven for 2-4 minutes, or until cheese is melted. If you don't want to use your oven, you can just cover the skillet and leave it over the heat for a few minute to melt the cheese, but it won't get browned.

Serve with lettuce and tomatoes, and your favorite salad dressing, if desired.

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This looks so good! I love skillet meals for dinner. Good luck on your race…if you are interested, there are Team Beef groups in many states. They can offset the costs of race fees for runners like yourself! 🙂